From ISL to the Concert Stage, Michal and Harald reflect on their solo performances with the OCL

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Music has the power to inspire, challenge, and bring people together. Our students, Michal and Harald, have taken their passion for music beyond the school walls, performing as soloists with the Orchestre de Chambre de Luxembourg (OCL) in different settings and concerts. Their journeys, though unique, share a common thread: hard work, curiosity, and love for music.  

Harald performed as a soloist in BRIDGES 2 / Jeunes Solistes, while Michal played in the Concert des Lauréats du Conservatoire. Since the time of this interview, Michal has continued to expand his musical journey, performing at the Rainy Days Festival alongside Cathy Krier and at the Catch Music Festival on March 16.  

In this interview, Michal and Harald open up about their musical experiences, the challenges of balancing high-level performance with school commitments, and their inspirations. They speak with a natural ease, full of youth and enthusiasm, making it all seem effortless. But behind the scenes, their achievements are the result of years of dedication and discipline.  

Keep on reading to dive into their musical world.

Can you start by introducing yourselves? What are your names, grades, and instruments?

Michal: My name is Michal. I'm 16 and in Grade 11. I’m Polish and joined ISL in Grade 8, three years ago. I play the piano and previously also played the violin for four years but had to choose one instrument and my choice was the piano. I started with private piano lessons before moving to the Conservatoire, where I’ve been since.

Harald: My name is Harald. I've been in ISL since preschool. I'm Russian, and I'm also playing the piano.

How has ISL supported your musical journey?

Harald: The school does a good job of providing opportunities to explore new things. In IGCSE Music, we’re about to start electronic music, which is very different from what I’m used to. They encourage creativity, and I’ve had chances to perform in group pieces, like Dancing Queen, which pushed me out of my classical music comfort zone.

Michal: I didn’t take IGCSE Music, and this is my first year of official music classes. Before that, I performed in small concerts while studying Design Technology. The musicals have been the most important for me. They’re big events that bring people together to perform at a high level.

What inspired you to pursue music at such a high level?

Harald: I don't know. It's a hobby. I enjoy music. I played without mission because it was an opportunity given to me and I thought it'd be fun. That's why I did it. That's my answer, I guess.

Michal: I was good at music from the start, so I kept going, taking exam after exam. Last year, I completed the Premier Prix, the last common exam before you can teach. I scored among the best, and I think I’ll continue pursuing music in the future.

Do you have a favorite composer or piece of music that has shaped your musical identity? It doesn’t have to be classical, it could be contemporary as well. Feel free to share any musicians or styles you really enjoy.

Harald:If I had to pick a favorite to listen to, maybe Tchaikovsky. I really enjoy his music. When it comes to playing, I’d say Chopin or Bach. For me, listening and playing are two very different experiences.

Michal: Very true. When it comes to playing, I like Romantic composers like Szymanowski. He’s a bit low-key, not super famous Polish composer but I really enjoy his music. For listening, I should probably listen to more classical, but I mostly listen to rock and pop. I think Survivor is really underrated. I mean people mostly know Eye of the Tiger, but they actually have some great songs beyond that.

Can you share your thoughts on the music and arts programs at ISL? What makes them special?

Harald: I think one of the highlights was getting to compose for a string quartet. We did it in seventh grade, and we had the chance to do it again. It’s really cool to have professional musicians play something we created. That was definitely a standout experience for me.

Michal: Yeah, as I said, this is my first year doing music here. If we count the musical as part of the program—which I think we should—then it’s amazing. You can take on different roles like accompanying, conducting, singing, or playing in the orchestra. There are so many opportunities.

As for IB Music, it’s a very unusual course. I wasn’t expecting it to be structured the way it is—it’s divided into sections that require some unexpected things. For example, we have to do these music experiments, which are things I’d never normally do. It’s unique. I thought I could get away with a lot more performing than that but there’s a lot of additional work. (starts laughing)

And you couldn’t?

Michal: No, no. (laughs) Performing is still really useful, and everything I know helps, but I still have a lot of other work to do—just not what I thought it would be. The course requires experiments, which make you do things I would never have thought to do otherwise. I mean this for both composing and performance. Previously, playing Schumann on a harpischord would have been... unthinkable. Things like this have opened me up to completely different styles of music I didn't even know existed.
 

Who are some of the teachers at ISL who have inspired or guided you in your music or artistic journey?

Harald: My current teacher is Dr. Libbey, and I really like him. He encourages us to explore different things. For example, when I took harmony lessons at the Conservatoire, it was very rule-based—you had to follow strict guidelines, and honestly, I didn’t enjoy it that much. But Dr. Libbey pushed me to make my compositions more dissonant and experiment with new ideas, which really changed how I compose. 

He also gave our class a lot of opportunities. For example, we sang in the choir, which I wouldn’t have done if he hadn’t encouraged me.

Michal: Although I never had Dr. Libbey as a music teacher, I did have him for musicals and other projects, like working with the choir. He’s always super positive and really helpful. He comes up with creative ideas and makes things possible that you wouldn’t think you could do. 

Now, I have Dr. Demo as my music teacher. He’s somehow always super positive. You can tell he’s really professional, knows what he’s doing, and has a teaching style that just works.

Both of you performed as soloists with the OCL recently. What pieces did you perform with the Orchestre de Chambre de Luxembourg, and how did you prepare for that performance?

Michal: When I took my exam last year, I knew that if I did really well, I might get the chance to play with the orchestra—but it wasn’t guaranteed. Over the summer, my teacher messaged me, confirming that I had earned the opportunity. She sent me the score, I bought it, and started learning it. Other top performers from different instruments were also selected, including another pianist, a bass guitarist, and a singer. I practiced with my teacher weekly until the final week, when we had two or three rehearsals with the orchestra before the concert. I performed the first movement of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto.

Harald: My experience was quite different from Michal’s. While he earned his spot through an exam, mine was arranged through an external organization. It was more of an individual project, and my preparation included two masterclasses over the summer, where I worked with a teacher for three days each time. Leading up to the concert, I had three sessions with the orchestra. I performed Haydn’s Concerto in D Major. I think I did well, and I’m happy with how I played.

What were the most rewarding or challenging aspects of these performances?

Harald: The most rewarding part was at the end of my piece—I finished playing slightly before the orchestra, so I got to listen as they closed it out. That was my favorite moment. The most challenging part was dealing with nerves before going on stage. Once I was up there, I wasn’t as nervous, but the anticipation beforehand was tough.

Michal: The biggest challenge was the limited time to learn the piece. I only got it halfway through the summer, and with holidays and other commitments, I couldn’t fully focus on it until a few weeks before school started—so I had about two to three months to prepare. There was also some uncertainty about who would play, which delayed things. I had to really crunch to get it good because if you don’t know what you’re doing in an orchestra rehearsal, everything can fall apart. You have to be insanely stable. 

The most rewarding part was after the concert—seeing everyone who came, excited and happy to be there, even if it wasn’t their usual kind of music. That was really cool.

How do you balance practicing and performing at such a high level with your school commitments?

Michal: At the beginning, balancing school and music wasn’t a problem because schoolwork wasn’t too difficult for me. But now, especially in subjects like math, I have to put in serious hours to do well. 

I think it’s less about how much time you spend practicing and more about how you use that time. Even if you practice less than expected, you can get away with it if you manage your time well. I should definitely practice more, but sometimes it’s just not possible. And I think it’s important to take breaks—even if it means not performing at your absolute best—because sometimes, you just need one.

Harald:  I’m only in 10th grade, so balancing school and music is challenging, but not too bad yet. I usually don’t focus too much on practicing unless I have an exam or a big performance coming up. For example, with the orchestra piece I played, I only practiced a lot as the deadline got closer—I tend to do that sometimes. Right now, I don’t have to worry too much about balancing both, but that might change as I move into higher grades.

What are your favorite classes or subjects, aside music?

Harald: I like math and the sciences.

Michal: I also like math and computer science.

Are you involved in any extra curricular activities except music at school?

Harald:
Yeah, I’m involved in a few extracurriculars. Outside of school, I do déchiffrage, which is a sight-reading exam where you get a piece and have to play it on the spot. I’m not great at it, which is why I’m doing it—to get better. I also swim with the CNDU club and will be swimming with ISL. I play the violin, participate in science competitions, and do the Duke of Edinburgh program—I completed Bronze and am working on Silver this year. Oh, and I also attend Russian school.

Michal: I did déchiffrage before—it’s where you get a new piece, have about 15 minutes to read it, and then play it. I actually loved it, but I’m done with it now. I also did complément, and now I’m doing jazz piano and chamber music at the Conservatoire. Outside of music, I’m a scout—I love it, it’s awesome.

What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of music?

Michal: I love computer science and computers in general—that’s also why I enjoy the class. In my free time, I like programming and working with computers. Building them is something I’m really interested in, though it’s an expensive hobby, so I haven’t actually built one yet. But I have fixed computers before. In the future, I hope to study both computer science and music.

Harald: Just piano.

What are your plans after ISL? Do you intend to pursue music academically or professionally?

Harald: I want to continue music for fun, but I don’t plan to pursue it as a career.

Michal: I hope to continue with both music and computer science. Right now, I’m joining a new project at the Conservatoire called the *Young Talents Academy*. It’s a group that provides more lessons, concerts, and artistic opportunities, but to stay in the program, I have to maintain a high grade—56 out of 60. I think it’ll be an amazing experience and a meaningful way to prove myself. 

For university, I plan to pursue a double degree in computer science and music. I love both and can’t imagine completely giving up one for the other.

How would you describe ISL in 5 words?

Harald: Good for trying new things.

Michal: Open... (laughs) I don’t know—just open.

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* Photo credit for Harald's photos: Tanitaphotography